# Can a vacuum sealed tin be resealed?



## Davetopay (Jan 19, 2008)

IS there a way to do it yourself? I know how to seal a mason jar, but do you need a special machine for tins?


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

I assume you're talking about MacBaren style tins, not Cornell & Diehl style 'poptops', right? Not that I know of a way in either case...


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## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

Screw cap round tins (Escudo), possibly - use muscle power to tighten it.

Rectangular tins (FVF) - never.

Pull off tins (GL Pease) with plastic cap - never.

Best bet is to either smoke the contents before they dry out, or transfer to a mason jar for longer term storage.


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

Yes, but you have to heat the lid to make the seal pliable and screw it down tight after putting the tin in the oven for a very short time. I've done it with square tins too in the same way but had to sit something heavy on top until the tin and seal cooled.


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

and you don't need to bother with sealing the mason jar like you would if you were canning food. There's no benefit for tobacco.


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## juni (Oct 16, 2009)

If you want the tin to last a bit longer without drying out you can put tinfoil under the lid, sealing it with that.

In other words: Use jars.


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## Davetopay (Jan 19, 2008)

juni said:


> If you want the tin to last a bit longer without drying out you can put tinfoil under the lid, sealing it with that.
> 
> In other words: Use jars.


I already do jar stuff up. I was just wondering because I sometimes get my hands on a real "one off" tin and want to try a bit of it, but save it for later as well....and my limited shelf space dictates just how many jars can be set aside at any one time.


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## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

One word:
*Caulk.*


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## paracite (Jan 8, 2010)

I've once seen a youtuber sealed a tobacco tin (rectangular) with a glue gun... I can only assume that it will keep anything from escaping, but who knows if the glue smells would somehow permeate the seal of these tins...


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## paracite (Jan 8, 2010)

Is it really safe to seal those the manual way by pasteurizing the tobacco in hot water?


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

Hermit said:


> One word:
> *Caulk.*


Then you would be smoking a pipe that smells like caulk. There is something really wrong with that idea...


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

paracite said:


> Is it really safe to seal those the manual way by pasteurizing the tobacco in hot water?


I am not sure what you mean but you don't want to heat tobacco unless your intention is to stove it.


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## paracite (Jan 8, 2010)

Mason jars get vacuumed sealed if you boil them or put them in hot water and leaving it out to cool. Well, that's how jelly is sealed in these jars (from the instructions I got for my jar). Unless you get a vacuum sealer.


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

That is not at all necessary for tobacco. 

The microbes on the leaf will consume whatever O2 is sealed in with them over time. It's actually a part of the aging process for tobacco.

The jar only needs to be sanitized - not even sterilized. One cycle through a dishwasher (no soap) that has a dry cycle will do the trick. You don't even have to load the jars while they're still hot. Room temp is A-OK.


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## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

drastic_quench said:


> That is not at all necessary for tobacco.
> 
> The microbes on the leaf will consume whatever O2 is sealed in with them over time. It's actually a part of the aging process for tobacco.
> 
> The jar only needs to be sanitized - not even sterilized. One cycle through a dishwasher (no soap) that has a dry cycle will do the trick. You don't even have to load the jars while they're still hot. Room temp is A-OK.


True, whadhesed. Unless you intend to eat the baccy ...
I like to heat the (filled) jar in hot (not boiling but almost) water with the cap on semi-tight. This expands the air inside and pushes some out, then jam the lid tight with all your might. This makes the cap "nipple" pop down when it cools. Its a good gauge to know if a jar seal has been compromised, if the nipple is up at a later date you know something is afoot.

Cooking baccy is not a good idea unless you intend to invent a new stoved blend.


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## commonsenseman (Apr 18, 2008)

RJpuffs said:


> True, whadhesed. Unless you intend to eat the baccy ...
> I like to heat the (filled) jar in hot (not boiling but almost) water with the cap on semi-tight. This expands the air inside and pushes some out, then jam the lid tight with all your might. This makes the cap "nipple" pop down when it cools. Its a good gauge to know if a jar seal has been compromised, if the nipple is up at a later date you know something is afoot.
> 
> Cooking baccy is not a good idea unless you intend to invent a new stoved blend.


I was looking at a few jars that I filled back in October, I noticed that they had popped themselves down after sitting for a few months. This got me thinking, so I took a look at some newer jars. Anything less than two months old hadn't popped down yet, while those that were two months old or older had mostly all popped down.

I think your method of heating up the contents in order to ensure a good seal is successful, although not entirely necessary. It seems that just tightening them down good & hard does the trick as well.

Thoughts?


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## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

commonsenseman said:


> I was looking at a few jars that I filled back in October, I noticed that they had popped themselves down after sitting for a few months. This got me thinking, so I took a look at some newer jars. Anything less than two months old hadn't popped down yet, while those that were two months old or older had mostly all popped down.
> 
> I think your method of heating up the contents in order to ensure a good seal is successful, although not entirely necessary. It seems that just tightening them down good & hard does the trick as well.
> 
> Thoughts?


Another factor I forgot to mention 'afore - is the amount of free air in the jar. Ribbon cut type baccy you can fill and push down and fill till only a little air remains. Flakes (Stonehave, etc) leave a lot of open space around, heating to expel some of it seems to help suck in the nipple (ooooooh).


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## paracite (Jan 8, 2010)

"Baked tobacco, now only 25 calories! Less calories than the leading fried brand."


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## Rascal (Jan 29, 2010)

I have a bent spoon tamper for packing flake into mason jars.


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## Hermit (Aug 5, 2008)

Rascal said:


> Then you would be smoking a pipe that smells like caulk. There is something really wrong with that idea...


Wooosh...


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## Mante (Dec 25, 2009)

Simple answer to the post question is: Nope. Unless you have a vacuum sealer.


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

RJpuffs said:


> True, whadhesed. Unless you intend to eat the baccy ...
> I like to heat the (filled) jar in hot (not boiling but almost) water with the cap on semi-tight. This expands the air inside and pushes some out, then jam the lid tight with all your might. This makes the cap "nipple" pop down when it cools. Its a good gauge to know if a jar seal has been compromised, if the nipple is up at a later date you know something is afoot.
> 
> *Cooking baccy is not a good idea unless you intend to invent a new stoved blend*.


It doesn't take long to get the 70 degree air out of an open tin and replace it with 400 degree air, certainly not long enough for the tobacco to warm up. The key is that the seal is pliable when the lid is replaced, so it conforms to the shape of the rim and pulls tight. Much more chance of the tobacco stoving in a hot glass jar, which isn't really saying there's much chance even then.


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